1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the separation of solids of relatively different weights, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for separating the lighter meat from the heavier shells of bivalve mollusks.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Brine flotation techniques have long been used to separate the meat from the shells of bivalve mollusks such as clams, oysters and scallops. These techniques take advantage of differences in buoyancy of the meat and shells by collecting floating meat from the surface of a brine bath and heavier shells from the bottom.
While brine flotation works effectively to separate the meat from the shells, the prior art has recognized that the use of brine to achieve the separation can be detrimental to the quality of the meat treated in this manner. Efforts to overcome this problem have involved the use of submerged jets of compressed air in a non-briny bath to buoy the meat upwardly but allow the heavier shells to sink. Rising currents of water which are created by pressurized, submerged water jets have been used to effect separation of other types of solids.
Submerged jets of compressed air may also have a deleterious effect on the bivalve meat in that the meat may be physically damaged by vigorous agitation. Prior art separators which use rising currents of water require expensive and cumbersome high pressure pumps and related equipment to create these currents.